The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-06-24
HALLES CENTRALES.r
THE PLACE WHERE THE PARISH
ANS BUY THEIR FOOD.
An Enormous Market House With Acres
Under Cover--Methods Of Buying and
seIIing-Stirring scene at 4 O'Clock In
the Morning.

There are now twelve pavilions Of iron
and glass at the Paris Halles Centrales.
Each one seems 20 be- devoted 10 "a differ
ent sort Of edbles, and yet the space thus
allotted under cover Is little more than
half large enough for the city's needs.
The four largest payilions are those where
fish. poultry. vegetables and dairy prod
uce are sold. All the pavilons are well
ventilated, the stalls are cOmmOdiOus and
'down among the dead men, are base
ment cellars, where the stall renters are
permitted 10 store such imperishable
goods rs they have been unable 10 dis
pose Of iu the course Of the day.
The wa .Ons bringing the meat from
SLAUGHTER HOUSES and poultry from trains
BEGIN to arrive about u O'Clock in the
evening, and they continue coming
throughout the night The employees lift
out the baskets ard arrange them along
the sidewalks. in each basket is the car
cas- of an animal. either whole or cut up
into quarters. and carefully wrapped up
In stout canvas. also "a label bearing the
name Of the sender, the weight OF the con
tents and "a sort OF bill ol lading which is
handed 10 a market official, who makes
from il his memoranda Then "a number
il placed ON ul the merchandise which
comes from the same shipper, after which
the board oil htaith Inspector makes ms
examination marks Oh all meat ln".
he Considers III l"r i'vl anu ms 'ue ieSt
removed to anoi Deer place To DO IooAeu al
more carefully Iatef on mem IL -
finally found unit to eal u ls cohllsciled
TIf
and either sent 10 the Jardlh ues llaites
10 be- thrown Ia the wild animals, or is
totally destroyed.
in the meantime the forts de Ia halle,
or market pOrtcrs. have commenced their
part OF the common work. handling the
meat which haas pa cd inspection with
large mon hooks. tHe> carry 10 To- the pun
he weighing slAil'H ana N"'H tAt "'lSii'
Of each piece mas been twice recorded,
once by ihc clerk OF idc cohsighcc ana
once by the city's cmplole % label is las
tened tO DO with Advanced iron PIN. ana
then tlc meat is hWnf up 300 rows 10 Doe
sold in eric. or at public auction. to the
retail dealers. AMI as thc pieces are sold
tenune OF the purchaser is written on
tie other side of thc Label
Th. is the routine for carcasses and
]
other meat in hl.lc quantities which has
10 undergo two operations known rs me
Cfluchagc trlmminp and the decoupage,
OBJ cutting mp. This is done by five men,
and g. 70 difficult and sometimes dangerous
work The decoupeurs wear sort Of
cap. 10 which "a lighted candle is fixed;
ills is the only light that they have to do
their work by and il must be- executed
with great rapdity in the midst Of "a crowd
of portors and other market hands. There
u,. 10 is true. few gas jets here ana
q, re. but NOT enough of them 10 enable
the inspectors and cutters 10 DO their work
muueriV Why don't they burn more
gu-y Well because il is known boo Paris
that gas is "a bad thing for meat and Other
food and the less Of gas there is used
about catahlc- the better for mankind
-Four o'clock is the hour when the yente
a pa cricc hcgius. The din is appalling.
Str,ur armed wenches. men and boys are
ru.hiug about or pushing trucks bearing
harlucr- fun 90 the brim. and statesmen
pcrchcd alOft i'm small pulpit- hawl their
offers i'm voices which sound like dismal
howls under the zinc roofings, while Gus
TONERS bid in the sumo strain. The buyers
[
TORS of restaurants and hotels. and catrrcrs
IN ho.nital. or asvlums These people. by
cnrnin1 carly. get their provisions much
chegDer than the public will do i'm the
course of the day though this Is not true
of G.l. which j. subject to astonishing
nurtgltions The wholesale selling ends
0f Gn'clocl. and now cooks and poor wives
mako tic.r nppearance by thousands.
lisa curious and an instructive scene,
/ assure you. that of the markets at ana
early morning hour.
The street is so crowded with people
that wheeled vehicles cannot enter. but
beyond the church stand rows Of cabs.
with their horses heads facing the shops
ou the other side of the little rue that runs
alono fine front of the ancient edifice
Hero am the sidewalk stand hundreds of
baskets ~ fruit grapes and whitish
brown things that ON closer inspection
pro,e 10 be mushrooms There j. "a wide
pas.aee between the two lines of payil-
i,.. .,,J .f This CARLY Iaur fhi. U4e.lup is